This invention relates to complex shaped structures and more particularly it relates to braided structures of fiber reinforced thermoplastic strands.
Fiber-reinforced plastic structures have been used for many years with increasing success because of their high strength, light weight and ease of fabrication compared to the wood or metal structures which they replace. Fibers such as glass, carbon, ceramic and aramid are popular as reinforcement, and thermoplastic resins are common polymeric matrices.
Braiding is one process for producing such structures and generally comprises forming an array of yarns extending substantially parallel to the axis of the structure and interlacing the yarns in a pattern through the array so they are interlaced with one another.
Polymeric materials reinforced with continuous filaments are used a precursors for highly-stressed parts such as aerospace components requiring the highest possible strength and stiffness with the lowest possible weight. When a composite preform is made with both reinforcing fibers and a matrix material, it must be consolidated in a subsequent step such as molding to form the final product. This consolidation process generally reduces the volume of the preform as air is removed and develops local crimp in the reinforcing fibers. Crimped fibers provide less reinforcement than straight ones and thereby reduce the strength and stiffness of the composite product.